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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · bound · perch · safe · pit · foot · clip · tube

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. foot — a measure
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pit — a hole
  6. clip — to cut
  7. shower — rain
  8. tube — a container
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bound — obliged
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bound — tied together
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bound — certain
  17. clip — for paper
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. shower — to wash
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. clip — a video

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com